Community sports news

The Catholic Grade School Football Conference posthumously selected Dave Sinclair as its “Man of the Year” for 2013. The announcement was made at a grade-school all-star football game played at St. Rita on Nov. 23.

Sinclair, who succumbed to ALS in September, spent many years as a football coach at St. Patricia.

Mt. Assisi student-athletes named state scholars Six student-athletes from Mt. Assisi were recently feted for their academic accomplishments by getting named as Illinois State Scholars. Included among the Screeching Eagles chosen for the honor were two local residents: Mary Kate Wetzel, of Palos Heights, and Jeslyn Vayalil, of Orland Park. Also recognized were Jacqueline Freeman, Patricia Peters, Rachel Sepulveda and Lauryn White.

Hickory Hills, Palos Hills baseball programs merge After years of competing against each other as local rivals, Hickory Hills Youth Baseball and the Palos Hills Baseball Association have merged into one organization. The new entity will be known as “Hills Baseball Softball Association,” and provide baseball and softball at all levels for children aged 4-16. HBSA, which will conduct play on fields in both communities, will accept youngsters from throughout the southwest suburbs for recreational participation, as well as for its part-time and full-time travel teams. Registration dates are Jan. 11 and Feb. 8 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. each day. Both Saturday sessions will be held at Conrady Junior High School, Roberts Road and 97th Street in Hickory Hills. George Czarnik, of Hickory Hills, and Peter Donahue, of Palos Hills, will serve as HBSA president and vice president, respectively. For more information about the new organization or how to become involved with it, contact Czarnik at 599-6983.

Sandburg athletes make college choices Ten Sandburg athletes recently finalized their college choices by signing National Letters of Intent. Four of them were softball players. Lady Eagles making their decisions official were Caroline Kuzel (St. Xavier University), Sarah Herold (Dennison University), Brooke Heimerl (Millikin University) and Karli McLaughlin (Quincy University). Other spring-season athletes who selected their future schools were baseball players Ryan Donegan (Concordia University), Sean Leland (University of Louisville) and Bryan Pall (University of Michigan), and soccer players Emily Osoba (University of Illinois) and Samantha Messina (University of Illinois-Chicago). Also declaring her college intentions was tennis player Molly Traverso, who will continue her education at John Carroll University in Ohio.

Two more baseball camps announced Chicago Christian and Lewis University in Romeoville will both host six-week baseball camps during the winter. Lewis’ camp will begin Jan. 11 and be directed by Flyers coach Tim McDonough, while the one at Chicago Christian starts Feb. 1 under the guidance of Knights coach and school athletic director Eric Brauer. Both are being held in conjunction with U.S. Baseball Academy and are open to players in grades 1-12. Sessions will be offered in advanced hitting, pitching, catching, fielding and baserunning. Registration is now underway, and classes are limited to six players per coach. Previously, a similar camp was announced for Oak Lawn High School with a start date of Jan. 5. For more information on any of three camps, visit www.USBaseballAcademy.com or call 1-866-622-4487.

Midwest Elite looking for softball players Midwest Elite Diamond 19-and-over women’s fast-pitch softball club is looking for college-rostered players to compete in the summer of 2014. The team will play in four local tournaments — including nationals — and two round-robin events. All positions will be considered, but specific needs include pitcher, catcher and infield/slapper. No practices are required. For more information, contact Bill Lammel at 289-3438 or ditrfp73@aol.com.

St. Al’s 8th-graders complete impressive basketball run Two St. Alexander 8th-grade girls’ basketball teams captured titles in the South Side Catholic Tournament at Mother McAuley. Defeated in the championship contests were squads representing MHR and St. Barnabas. The two St. Al’s teams are no strangers to success, having claimed 32 championships of some sort over a five-year span. Those feats include 11 regular-season crowns and 10 tournament titles in two different leagues, plus three tourney championships apiece at Mother McAuley and Incarnation. The key has been a sense of selflessness — no head-and-shoulders-above-the-rest star has emerged from St. Al’s ranks, as different players have routinely stepped up to deliver a spark on either the offensive or defensive end. That balance was created by a sense of camaraderie, which one of the girls stated this way: “We went to the basketball evaluations as relative strangers in 4th grade and exited as best friends and a family as 8th-graders.”

Palos Park to host winter basketball league Palos Park, in conjunction with the Palos Heights Recreation Department and Worth Park District, will host a winter basketball league for youngsters in grades 1-8 that will play games each Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. beginning Jan. 18 and running through March 15. Each child will have one practice and one game per week, with an emphasis being placed on skills development. Separate leagues will be formed for boys and girls, and play will be conducted in a total of four different age groups. For more information, call 671-3760.

Oak Lawn High School to host baseball camp in January Oak Lawn High School will host a six-week baseball camp, in conjunction with U.S. Baseball Academy, starting Jan. 5, 2014. Former Spartans varsity coach Brian Clifton will direct the program, which has classes available for players in grades 1-12. Sessions will be offered in advanced hitting, pitching, catching, fielding and baserunning, but space is limited. Registration is currently underway. For more information, visit www.USBaseballAcademy.com or call 1-866-622-4487.

Openings for Diamond in the Rough Diamond in the Rough fast-pitch softball has player openings in its girls’ windmill pitching, beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.